Safety cock



A. FEIKS SAFETY COCK May 16, 1939.

Filed Dec. 6, 1937 INVENTOR.

TTORNEYS.

Patented May 16, 1939 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFIQE Claims.

This invention relates to valves and more specifically to valves of the gas cock type.

In general it is an object of the invention to provide a device of the character described which will efiiciently perform the purposes for which it is intended, which is simple and economical of construction, which can be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and which can be readily manufactured and assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve and especially a gas cook which cannot be carelessly or accidentally opened which normally would never be opened by children at play, and which either requires two hands to move it into operative position or requires a single hand to be used first in one position, then to be moved to another position distant from the first position and finally to operate in the other position.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation and partly in section of a device embodying one form of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a modification of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Hitherto there have been devices for locking cocks in certain positions so that it was assured that they would stay in those positions unless an operators hand were associated with the usual cock handle, but a hand absentmindedly fingering those devices has often caused them to operate so that the cock has opened unobserved. There has been the same possibility and undesired result when some chance element, for example a portion of a dress, has been near or caught onto the cock-handle and its adjacent lock. Mischievous children, not understanding the dangers or not knowing what they were doing, have opened the gas by playing with whatever was loose, at some one spot to which their attention was attracted.

The present invention contemplates a device which normally requires one manipulation in one place and another manipulation in another. The chance is eliminated that the material of a dress might catch and operate both parts in the two spaced position or that children, having found the unlocking means, would thereafter find the chief valve opening means, being positioned as it is away from the locking means.

In the drawing, l0 denotes the outer casing of a valve shown in the form of a gas cook to which leads a supply line l2 and from which leads a conduit is to a gas burner, not shown. Extending through the casing i2 is the usual tapered plug I6 with a handle l8 at one end thereof. Attached to the other end of the plug it there is a connecting element 28 rotatable with the plug. Associated with element 28 there are chamber-providing means 22. A piston 24 extends through the chamber 23 provided by means 22. At one end of the piston and outside of the chamber the piston bears against the supply line I2. The end of the piston may be bent over as at 23 to form a hook which grips the supply line. It is held in gripping position by spring 3 3 acting upon the piston 24. At the other end of the piston there is a push button 32 whereby the piston may be moved against the action of the spring to release the hooked part 28 from the supply line l2. Screw means, not shown, may take the place of the spring 30. The connecting element 28 may be attached by set screws 34 to the end of plug I6. By the proper positioning of the screws 3d the parts may be so adjusted that when the hooked part is firmly against the supply line the valve is set either to allow no gas to pass therethrough or it is set so as to follow a certain predetermined amount to pass through. This amount may be just sufficient to maintain a pilot light. The same may be accomplished by having element Zll in two parts, one pivoted on the other and the pivoting surfaces being so tightly juxtapositioned that the parts may be pivoted only by the application of a very strong force.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the handle I8 is fixed with respect to a sleeve 49 which is rotatable with respect to a conduit and/or supporting element 42. The handle, by its motion, operates the valve shown generally at 44 through the conduit 42, which is fixed in position. A supporting element i6 is attached to conduit 52 in any suitable fashion as by being supported therefrom by a hooked portion 48. The supporting element 46 carries a screw t9 which is threaded through the element 46 and which has an outer end 56. Upon the turning of the screw this outer end may be inserted into or removed from contact with the sleeve 40. The contact is such as to prevent the motion of the sleeve. This contact may be brought about by inserting the end 56 into a depression 52 in the sleeve. There may be an operative button 54 at the end of the screw. The screw means may be used or spring means similar to those shown in Fig. 1 substituted therefor. The screw and its operative portion, the button, are spaced from each other so that normally a single hand at one time cannot release the screw 49 and the handle 18. For closed position of the valve, the handle I8 is normal on the opposite side of element 40 from screw 49.

The device exemplified in Figs. 1 and 2 provides a measure of safety not only where there are children, but also for adults. Accidents are known to happen continually due to the fact that gas valves become opened without the knowledge of those present. In so far as possible the present device prevents such occurrences.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A safety cock comprising a valve casing, a supply line entering said casing, a plug valve extending through said casing, a handle fixedly attached to one end of said valve, means providing a chamber and attached to the other end of said valve, a bent arm extending out of said chamber and movable to catch around and be released from, said supply line, a spring in said chamber and adapted for holding said arm caught around said line, and a push button on said arm for moving said arm against the action of said spring to release said arm from said line whereby said valve and handle become movable.

2. A safety cock comprising a valve casing, a supply line entering said casing, a plug valve extending through said casing, a handle fixedly attached to one end of said valve, means providing a chamber and attached to the other end of said valve, a bent arm extending out of saidchamher and movable to catch around and be released from said supply line, a spring in said chamber and adapted for holding said arm caught around said line, and a push button on said arm for moving said arm against the action of said spring to release said arm from said line whereby said valve and handle become movable, said button being in the region of said other end of said valve whereby two hands are normally required to operate said cock.

3. A safety cock comprising a valve casing, a supply line entering said casing, a plug valve extending through said casing, a handle fixedly attached to one end of said valve, means attached to the other end of said valve and supporting an arm against said line said arm being slidable with respect to said means and spring means for holding said arm against said line, said valve and attached handle and arm-supporting means being prevented by said line, from turning while said arm is against and its movement blocked by, said line, said arm, upon the application thereto of a force against the action of said spring, being slidable away from said line, said arm and said handle being spacedly positioned whereby two hands are normally required to operate said cock.

4. A safety cock comprising a valve casing, a supply line entering said casing, a plug valve extending through said casing, a handle fixedly attached to one end of said valve, means attached to the other end of said valve and supporting an arm against said line, said arm being slidable with respect to said means, and spring means for holding said arm against said line, said valve and attached handle and arm-supporting means being prevented, by said line, from turning while said arm is against, and its movement blocked by, said line, said arm, upon the application thereto of a force against the action of said spring, being slidable away from said line, said supporting means being adjustably attached whereby said valve is held by said arm and said spring at one of a plurality of predetermined positions and is movable therefrom by force applied against said spring and by a simultaneous force exerted against said handle.

5. In combination, a device having a fixed portion and a safety cock adjacent said device and comprising avalve, a valve plug, an extension from said plug and fixed to said plug and rotatable with said plug, the path of a part of said extension meeting said fixed portion of said device, said valve plug being closed and the motion of said extension and said valve plug afiixed thereto being blocked when said extension part is against the fixed portion of said device whereby said cock does not then permit the passage of fluid therethrough, and means for moving said part of said extension to a position such that as said extension moves said part no longer moves in a path which meets said fixed portion, whereby said valve is free to be operated, said cock having i 

